all posts post new thread

Breathwork: Buteyko, Pranayama, Wim Hof, etc

KBrower said:
I have been doing the Wim Hof Method for over two years now. I am fortunate that I dont suffer from stress or anxiety (over and above normal levels) so cant say if it helps there. I dont feel like it has helped in any athletic sense but I was and like to think am pretty fit even before I started so maybe would help someone from a lower starting point. What it has done for me is a) it feels awesome when you do it, very trippy and relaxing and b) my immune system seems to be off the scales compared to before I started this. My wife is a teacher and I have an 8 and 9 year old so ALL illnesses come through my door, and I used to catch the lot. Now I either dont catch them at all or if on the rare occasion I do the symptoms are much much less severe to the point I hardly notice, I know I have a bug or whatever, but it just doesn't effect me and doesn't stop me going about my day normally. Is it the WHM or not, I will never know, but I will carry on with it anyway. It seems to help IMO.
Click to expand...
How do you practice the method? Did you go trough a course, app or something else? And how many rounds?
 
Phindborg said:
How do you practice the method? Did you go trough a course, app or something else? And how many rounds?
Click to expand...
There’s an app and a ton of free material on YouTube. I did both courses which I enjoyed but note my reservations in the previous post. It wasn’t what I was looking for ultimately but the courses were well structured and polished presentation
 
I know this is going to seem off topic but Dr. Perry Nickelston discusses a surprising connection between the tongue and fascia throughout the body (and of course the vagus nerve). Breathing exercises, particularly nasal breathing, also work to relax the tongue which explains the unreasonable effectiveness of breathing exercises.
 
A lot of the breathing exercises I’ve tried haven’t really worked out for me. I end up feeling anxious and my tinnitus gets worse. Makes meditation frustrating as well.
 
I simply practiced seated breath meditation using abdominal breathing. The mental aspect was worth the price of admission. Stimulation of the Vagus nerve, reduced stress, reduced blood pressure etc all well worth the effort.

As practiced I held onto the exhale a little, mostly by just letting the viscera drive the diaphragm passively.

I have no idea if or what the effect was on blood CO2 content. Was under the impression that was regulated autonomously, but whatever. Is good stuff.


Two books that were very helpful:

The Zen Way to the Martial Arts
- Taisen Deshimaru

Buddhism Without Beliefs
- Steven Batchelor
 
Steve Freides said:
Without a more extensive background in traditional Buddhism
Click to expand...
“Don’t be a Jerk and other practical advice from dogen” by Brad Warner is a pretty easy to read paraphrase of one of the core Zen books.

Otherwise “Mindfulness in Plain English” is a quick read that is based out of a different type of Buddhism. Very practical book.

But yeah, I didn’t really care for Batchealor’s other books I’ve read. Not my favorite writing style.
 
bookcase said:
Hi all. I am reading around breathwork for anti-anxiety effects more than anything but am aware that various techniques have also been suggested for performance and health. Stanford Prof of Neurology Andrew Huberman is a proponent.

Have you tried any techniques? What benefits, if any, did you notice on mood, wellbeing, athleticism?

There do appear to be disagreements around attaining the same goal, too. Buteyko says that increasing blood CO2 leads to (as well as physical) relaxation benefits. Huberman recommends extended exhale as a way to lower blood CO2 to lead to relaxation.

So many techniques and conflicting data!
Click to expand...
I would belly breath as much as possible. Breath into the nose to expand your stomach and breath out the nose or mouth. I do this at rest, during walks, or when lifting. Another good one is box breathing. I think wim hoffs is amazing too for oxygenation of the body. I have noticed a positive change in my personal performance when doing win hoff breathing every morning. I just keep it simple and try to belly breath as much as possible. That is my anti anxiety medicine along with walking or fishing. Water and nature is very calming.

 
bookcase said:
Hi all. I am reading around breathwork for anti-anxiety effects more than anything but am aware that various techniques have also been suggested for performance and health. Stanford Prof of Neurology Andrew Huberman is a proponent.

Have you tried any techniques? What benefits, if any, did you notice on mood, wellbeing, athleticism?

There do appear to be disagreements around attaining the same goal, too. Buteyko says that increasing blood CO2 leads to (as well as physical) relaxation benefits. Huberman recommends extended exhale as a way to lower blood CO2 to lead to relaxation.

So many techniques and conflicting data!
Click to expand...
Something involving deep breathing and breath holds - Breath With Sandy on YouTube. Fantastic videos.
 
Phindborg said:
How do you practice the method? Did you go trough a course, app or something else? And how many rounds?
Click to expand...
I get obsessed with things so I just fully immersed myself into it and found as much info as possible, read books, went online (YouTube), joined Facebook groups and downloaded the Wim Hof App which has tonnes of info on there. You dont need to pay for the App but I do, its 'only' £35 a year and I use it daily and I like to keep records of things. This is probably the best resource IMO but its nearly all on Wim Hofs YouTube channel as well.

I do 3 rounds of breathing first thing in the morning upon waking up and then either go take a cold shower straight after. If life gets in the way then I just fit these in throughout the day, the breathing for me takes around 16-17mins and I need to shower anyway so can always find time.
 
Last edited:
Steve Freides said:
I've tried, unsuccessfully, to make it through this book. Without a more extensive background in traditional Buddhism, I found it making too many references I didn't understand. (I certainly do agree with the sentiment and approach, however.)

-S-
Click to expand...

This and the book from Taisen Deshimaru are the two that really sent me on my way for breath meditation. Admittedly I haven't read either in about 20 years...

I have another dozen books on the subject but while some had more accessible writing style, found none of them to be more helpful.

For buddhism in general, translations of the Pali Canon are a great resource, IMHO better than any modern spin.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom